What Class Do Termites Belong to?

Termites are eusocial insects. They form colonies that communicate with each other using pheromones. The colony is comprised of different castes that have different tasks. Each of the castes has a unique physical appearance.

The worker termite is the smallest of all termites. They are blind, resemble larvae, and have soft bodies. In the reproductive stage, the termite becomes winged. Wings are located at the metathorax. The hindwings are equal in length to the forewings. The forewings are positioned at the rear of the body and remain at an angle while flying. The wings are covered with a dark exoskeleton.

The thorax of a termite contains three paired legs, a pair of elongated tergites, and a clypeus. The clypeus is divided into the postclypeus, the anteclypeus, and the clypeal segment.

The mouth part contains a set of mandibles, maxillae, and palps. The pharynx consists of the nasus and the phragmotic head. The head can block narrow termite tunnels. Soldiers are highly modified and powerful jaws. Some species have dimorphic soldiers. Depending on the species, soldiers are large or small, globular or elongated. They can also shoot toxic glue from the nasus.

Some species have soldiers that are two or three times the size of the worker. These soldiers may have the ability to retreat to the mound when provoked. They may also use globular heads to block narrow termite tunnels.

Several species of eusocial wasps are known to break into termite mounds in South and Central America. These wasps may be responsible for the destruction of some termite colonies.

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